


Touching Fevered Skin

by palominopup



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-25
Updated: 2017-04-25
Packaged: 2018-10-24 00:33:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,711
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10730502
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/palominopup/pseuds/palominopup
Summary: Newly human Cas is sick. Dean takes care of him and a confession in the darkness could change their whole world.





	Touching Fevered Skin

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to Angi for helping me schlep this one out before my trip.

 

Wrapping his head around the now human Cas was proving more and more difficult for Dean.  Some of the changes were pretty cool, but some, well, they sucked.  Like now for instance. 

Letting himself into the hotel room, he slung the plastic shopping bag onto one of the beds.  Cas was encased in blankets and the tacky bedspread on the other bed, with only the top of his head showing. 

“Cas? Wake up, dude.  I got orange juice, tissues and cold medicine.  Sorry it took so long, but Walmart on the day after Black Friday is insane.” 

Cas did not respond.  He didn’t even move.  Dean sat on the edge of the bed and pulled back the covers.  Cas’ face was flushed and beads of sweat covered his forehead.  Dean put his hand on the fallen angel’s cheek and cursed. 

“Damn it, Cas.  You’re burning up.” 

Cas gave a soft moan, but his eyes remained closed.  Dean pulled out his cell phone and quickly touched the icon titled ‘Sam’.  After two rings, Sam picked up. 

“What?” 

“Hey, Cas has gotten worse.  He’s hot.” 

Sam gave a bark of laughter, “Bout time you admitted that to yourself.” 

“Hot as in a fever, bitch.” 

“How high is it?” Sam asked in a more serious tone. 

“How should I know, I don’t carry a fuckin’ thermometer.  He’s just hot to the touch, his face is red and he’s sweaty.   Oh, and he won’t wake up.” 

“Alright, listen to me, Dean.  You’ve got to get him in the bath tub with some cool water.  Not cold.” 

“Right.  Tub.  Cool water.  When will you be back?” 

“Not until around lunchtime tomorrow.” 

“Alright.  See you then.” 

“Hey, call me when you get the fever down.  And if it gets high again, take him to a doc-in-a-box.” 

“Sure.  Bye.”  Dean pushed the end button and tossed his phone on the other bed.  He spared another glance at Cas and then went quickly into the bathroom.  After starting the water running into the tub, he returned to the room and looked around for the stuff he'd picked up at the store.   

“Hang in there, Cas,” he mumbled, shaking out a couple of the cold tablets into his hand. 

Dean set the pills on the nightstand and ran back into the bathroom. The tub was about half full and he shut off the water.  He remembered to lay out the towels before returning to Cas’ bedside. 

He threw back the covers.  Cas was in boxer briefs and one of Dean’s t-shirts.   

“Come on, Dean, you can do this.”  Dean muttered as he lifted Cas’ upper body and fought to get the t-shirt off of the other man.    He managed to keep Cas upright while he fed him the pills and poured a swig of juice down the angel's throat. Carefully, he eased Cas back down.  Cas moaned again.  Dean felt a moment of panic as he looked at the dark blue briefs and debated on just leaving them on, but changed his mind after a crazy wave of curiosity flashed through his mind. 

“Okay, Cas, let’s see what you got.  Hope you aren’t a Ken doll.” 

Dean gripped the waistband of the briefs and slid them down, rolling Cas gently side to side to remove them.   

“Well, not too bad.”  Dean said appreciatively.  He shifted the other man’s dead weight, so he could get his arms around his upper body.  With a grunt, Dean had Cas in a seated position.  Holding him steady with one arm, Dean used his other to pull Cas’ legs over the side of the bed. 

“A little help would be appreciated.”  Cas only groaned, but managed to open his eyes briefly.   

“Dean, I…”  Cas slipped back into his feverish sleep. 

It took all of Dean’s strength to pull Cas up and stumble to the bathroom.  Once he was next to the tub, Dean gently lowered Cas so he was seated on the edge.  Dean’s mind raced through the logistics of getting Cas into the tub without drowning him or flooding the bathroom.   

“Here goes.”  Dean used one of his legs to push Cas’ legs over and into the water.  Cas gasped as his feverish skin hit the cool water. He pushed against Dean weakly.   

“It’s okay, man.  This is for your own good.”  Dean continued to slowly lower Cas into the tub.  Cas was flailing around now and before he could catch him, Cas splashed down into the tub with Dean on top of him. 

“Shit…God dammit…mother….”  Dean reared up, water splashing everywhere.  Cas was thrashing around under him.  The displaced water sloshed all over the bathroom floor, causing Dean to lose his footing and he went down into the tub for the second time.   

“Cas. I. Will. Kill. You.”  Dean hauled himself up, using the edge of the tub for leverage. He was sopping wet. 

“Dean….please…so cold.”  Dean instantly grasped the sick man’s hand.   

“I know, Babe.  It’s just for a little while longer.”  Dean forgot about his own discomfort to calm his friend.  “Gotta get your fever down.” 

Cas stopped fighting and just sat, staring up at Dean with such a distressed look on his face that the hunter’s heart melted. 

“Hey, hey, it’s okay.  I’m here.  I’m not leaving you.” Dean lay the palm of his hand against Cas’ cheek.  He was still warm, but seemed a bit more alert.  They sat in silence and the minutes ticked by. Cas' skin seemed a bit cooler and Dean knew he should get him back to bed. 

“Let’s get you out of there.”  It took a lot of effort, but Dean finally got Cas out of the tub and onto the toilet seat.  He took a towel and wrapped it around the fallen angel’s shoulders, then picked up another one and began drying him.  Neither man spoke as Dean rubbed the towel up and down the sick man’s legs and then his arms.   

“I’m sorry.”  The words were barely audible and caused Dean to look up into Cas’ eyes sharply. 

“What are you sorry for?”  

“Being weak…sick…too much…trouble.” 

“Hey, quit talking like an idiot.”  Dean said gruffly.  He took the towel and roughly dried Cas’ hair. 

“Come on, Cas, let’s get you back to bed.” 

Dean stood and managed to get Cas on his feet and they managed to shuffle into the other room.  Since Dean’s bed was closer, he steered Cas to it and lowered him down.   

He pulled the covers up to Cas’ chest, keeping his eyes off the man's junk. He should try to get some clothes on him, but Dean was exhausted after wrestling Cas in and out of the tub.  He met the other man’s eyes and for an instant he was lost.  If he was honest with himself, he would admit that Cas had the most beautiful blue eyes he had ever seen.  With a quick shake of his head, he straightened. 

“Let me get you some more juice.” While he was at it, he grabbed the Vick's out of the plastic bag and opened the jar. Using his forefinger, he pulled a glob of the thick jelly out and began to rub it into Cas' chest. The sharp smell made Cas inhale sharply and he tried to shove Dean's hands away. "Shhhh," Dean whispered and Cas settled down. Dean finished and wiped his hands on the sheets from the other bed.  

Cas didn’t speak, he just watched as Dean grabbed a plastic cup off the cheap faux wood dresser and fill it with orange juice.  Dean gave Cas an encouraging smile. 

“We’ll have you better in no time.”  Dean sat the juice on the nightstand and plunked his hip on the bed next to Cas'. “Can you sit up?"   

Cas gave it some effort but had to fall back exhausted.  “Sorry…” 

“Quit saying that, you’re pissing me off.” Dean’s smile took the heat out of the words. 

“I’m…” 

“Cas.” Dean pulled Cas to a seated position with one hand while shifting the pillows with the other, giving him something to lean on.  He gently released Cas so he was in a reclining position.  He put his hand behind Cas' neck and helped him take a few sips of the juice.  By the time Dean sat the cup back down, Cas was almost unconscious again. 

Dean tucked the blanket up around Cas’ chin and stood.  He turned off the lamp on the nightstand and went to the bathroom to remove his wet clothes.  He flipped the lever to release the bathwater and undressed.  After hanging up his clothing on the towel bar, he turned on the shower and waited until steam began to fill the room.  Taking one more glance around the door frame at Cas, he stepped into the hot shower.   

His chilled skin quickly heated up and he let his head fall back into the spray.  He really was worried about Cas. He remembered Cas storming into that barn like...well, like a warrior and now, he was weak and sick and it pissed Dean off. Cas was human because of Dean. He'd given up an army for Dean.  

Dean toweled off and studied his reflection in the foggy mirror. He wasn't worth giving up heaven for. Not by a long shot. Pulling on a pair of sweats, Dean opened the bathroom door. Cas was in the same position as Dean had left him. He sat on the other bed, but it smelled of old sweat. Wrinkling his nose, Dean got up and moved to the other side of Cas. He stood, looking down at the sick angel...man.  

Swallowing his macho pride, he crawled onto the bed and positioned himself with his back to the headboard. Cas never moved, but Dean could hear his harsh breaths. He ran his hand over Cas' forehead, brushing a lock of hair out of his face. Cas was still warm, but not nearly as hot as before the bath. Dean looked at the cheap clock radio on the nightstand. He had to remember to give Cas more medicine at six.  

Taking the remote, he flipped on the TV and quickly lowered the volume. His other hand subconsciously brushing through Cas hair. He found a show on the Food Network and settled in to watch it. Occasionally, coughs would rack Cas' body and Dean would wince at the soft whimpers as Cas tried to get comfortable again.  

As one show ended and another began, Dean found himself closer to Cas, hip and thighs pressed together, a couple of layers of cloth separating them. A commercial for an antacid was airing when Cas murmured Dean's name. Dean leaned down. "What do you need, Cas?" 

"Dean...you." The words were jumbled. 

"I'm here, Cas. I'm here." Dean's palm settled against the stubble on Cas' cheek. What would that feel like against his lips? Against his skin? He closed his eyes and  bit back a groan.  

He kept himself awake until it was time for another dose of the acetaminophen. He gently woke Cas and helped him swallow two more of the pills. This time, Cas drank a bit more of the juice. When some of it dribbled down his chin, Dean brushed it away with his thumb. When Cas fell back into the deep sleep of the sick, Dean stretched out beside him, hauling Cas' limp body against his chest. "Nothing can happen to you, Cas. I don't think I could make it without you, so stop being a selfish son of a bitch and get better." 

Cas drifted in and out of consciousness over the next few hours, each time he woke, Dean would give him juice and whisper encouragement to the sick man. Around midnight, watery, blue eyes opened and seemed to stare into his soul. Dean couldn't look away and he didn't separate his body from Cas'. "Feel any better?" 

"I'm not sure," came the croaked reply. Dean chuckled and pressed his lips to Cas' forehead. 

"Go back to sleep." It wasn't until Cas was softly snoring beside him that Dean realized what he'd done. He'd kissed Cas. Instead of freaking out, Dean stared at the now silent television. He'd kissed Cas and the world hadn't ended. No one died.  

Yawning, Dean snuggled closer and was just dozing off when Cas' mumbled words reached his brain. "Love you, Dean. So good to me." Wide awake, Dean tried to process what he'd heard. Sure Cas loved him. They were family. Brothers. Only Dean didn't think of Cas as a brother anymore. No one had thoughts about their brothers like Dean had about Cas. He could lie to Sam and even Cas, but Dean couldn't lie to himself. Not anymore. He kissed Cas' temple and rubbed his nose against the soft patch of skin behind Cas' ear.  

"I love you too, Cas," Dean said softly, trying the words out like a Latin spell he'd have to memorize. The words flowed easily and the weight of the world that Dean always carried seemed to melt away. He rested his face against Cas', a smile gracing his lips as he fell asleep. 

*** 

Cas woke to the flickering light from the television and a warm body pressed against his back. Dean. The events of the night before replayed through his head. He remembered drifting in and out. He remembered Dean taking care of him...telling him he'd get better...telling him... Cas' eyes widened. Dean's arms were around him and he could feel the small puffs of breath on his neck.   

Slowly, as he became more aware of his senses, he realized he had to use the bathroom. Carefully, unwilling to disturb Dean, he eased out from under the strong arms that held him. It was only after he tossed the bedding aside that he noticed he was naked. His lips parted in confusion. How? The bath. He remembered the bath. But why didn't Dean help him dress afterwards?  

The pressure on his bladder overrode the embarrassment of being in the nude and he shuffled into the bathroom, shutting the door behind him. He braced a hand on the wall behind the toilet and wrapped his hand around his penis. He sighed as he relieved himself. How long had it been since he'd urinated? 

He washed his hands and studied himself in the mirror. The bags under his eyes were pronounced and his skin was very pale against the darkness of his beard. His throat hurt and his head felt like it was full of wet cotton. 

Easing the door open, he stepped back onto the carpeted floor. He found his duffle and pulled on a pair of white boxers. At the side of the bed, he looked down at Dean. In sleep, Dean appeared younger than his thirty-eight years. Should he go to the other bed and leave Dean alone? Remembering the warmth of Dean's body, Cas made up his mind and carefully crawled back under the covers. Dean snuffled into the pillow and Cas watched him until he drifted off again. 

*** 

Sam pushed the key card into the slot and eased the door open. He figured Cas would be sleeping and didn't want to disturb him. The morning sun was streaming in between the small crack in the curtains and the television was on mute. Someone was baking cupcakes on the screen, but that didn't hold his attention. On the bed closest to the door...to Sam, his brother and his friend were sleeping. That in itself, wasn't surprising, but Dean's arms and legs were around Cas' body, protective in their slumber. Sam smiled. It was about time. He sat the cardboard container with the two coffees and the one large orange juice on the small table and sat down. Opening his laptop, he began to catch up on the local news, but his eyes kept drifting towards the bed and the two men who'd been in love with each other for so very long.  

He could take pictures and tease Dean when he woke, but that was childish. Dean deserved this. Cas deserved this. Maybe one day he'd find someone who loved him as much as Dean loved his angel. He sure hoped so. 


End file.
